Beyond the Freezing Point
by theTwentyNineth
Summary: To the darkness, she gave herself completely. And in the darkness, she was wrought. There is nothing beyond this point. Who then is left to save her, when she's gone too far into the storm under her skin?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 1

If it was bad the last time, this one was worse. An insurmountable-amount worse. The first this had happened, Arendelle was set off in an eternal winter everywhere. Despite the fact that everything was frozen and snow fell in the midst of summer, at least there were intervals between each snowfall or temperature drop. People could still go outside and shovel snow or resupply their food and wood. The intervals did not last long but still, periods of clear air existed. This time though, there were no intervals.

Arendelle was under continuous, heavy snowfall.

From the heart of the kingdom to the mountains in the North, the snowfall and the temperature drop was constant. The fjord had frozen in thick, thick ice and the snow that fell, fell silently under great dark clouds that hung over Arendelle as far as the eye can see.

But the winds.

The winds and the gales tore only around the castle like it had not been since the rage of the old gods at war with each other. The clouds above the castle were darker and bigger and the winds twisted and coiled around the castle like an impenetrable wall of air. Whatever else inside that vortex that was not made of stone had frozen and had been broken into sharp, splintering pieces, and were now being spun around in great speeds by the howling gusts. The winds themselves were blowing in such malevolent velocities that if anybody who ventured there did not freeze instantly, they suffocated to death.

Jack watched in slight awe at the winter that stormed Arendelle from his perch on a cliff on the mountains. They had just ushered everybody to safety in the mountains and as far away from the winds in Arendelle, while North and the others convened in the ice castle. Jack breathed out a troubled sigh as his thoughts brought him back to the rapidly-changing landscape. _If it wasn't so dangerous, it would have been a beautiful sight_, he thought as snow and frost continued to bleach the world. Who knew something so pure could be so threatening. _Just as she was_.

And his chest tightened as a new surge of rage shot through his veins, fiery and hot. An icy blast of wind, sharp and stinging blew from behind him, as if a response to the peculiar storm he was staring at, and rustled his hair over his darkening features.

"Jack," A voice behind him cut through his thoughts. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the wind dying down as he exhaled. His face softened just a bit as he turned to look at the owner of the voice.

Anna and Kristoff. They were wrapped in heavy cloaks and jackets and were looking grim at the scene. Anna had tears in her eyes and Kristoff held her close. Snow dusted their hats and their shoulders and their breath came out in white puffs. Anna sniffled, wiping a tear-stained eye.

"Is there any way, any way at all, we can save her from Pitch?" Her voice broke as she begged. Jack's frown deepened, his fingers tightening over his staff and his eyes flashing. Kristoff and Anna shivered at another sudden gust of wind.

"Jack!" Kristoff cried out, holding Anna closer to him. The wind died down immediately. Jack's shoulders slumped as he took another deep breath.

"Sorry," he breathed out, eyes cast down, visibly pained and frustrated at the uselessness he was feeling right now. "I'm sorry... I was – "

"We know," Kristoff said softly. Jack looked back up at the couple in front of him and found them both smiling sadly at him. "We know. We love her too."

"No... You don't understand...," Jack replied, looking away. They didn't know what they were talking about. They don't understand the extent of his feelings. He had to make them see that–

"Elsa is everything..." _MY everything._

Anna's sad smile widened and she shuffled closer to Jack, before putting her gloved hand on his shoulder. Jack refused to look at her.

"Jack, we _know_," she said, warmly. "You are her everything too." Jack sighed and managed a small, sad smile at them. He was about to thank the couple when a rumble was heard coming from the direction of Arendelle.

Anna saw it first and gasped, covering her mouth with a hand as more tears overflowed. Jack turned hurriedly too look at what Anna saw.

_No._

His breath caught in his throat when he saw that giant, black icicles had started protruding out through the walls, the roofs and the floors. Even under the cloudy weather, the black spikes of ice gleamed sharply, stabbing the castle from the inside. And they rose, like razor-sharp fingers reaching for the heavens. For a few seconds, Jack felt himself weaken as his heart cried out painfully at the thought of what she was going through.

_Elsa._

Gripping his staff tightly, he felt his strength coming back. He had to be strong. He had to be, to save her. He felt his rage roar back to life, filling him with such power and energy that at that moment, Jack knew, he _knew_, that this would be the last time Pitch interfered with his life. And in a seething, terrifying calm, he started to turn back to face the couple.

"There is a way to save Elsa."

Anna and Kristoff suddenly felt another icy blast of wind, this time more dangerous and slicing, while the snow in the ground started freezing itself into hard ice, forming sharp spikes around the area Jack stood in. Grasping at each other tightly and backing away slightly from the newly-formed ice, they looked back up at Jack. They could not fathom into words at the sudden chill in their bones when they looked into Jack's eyes.

"Yes," he said, ignoring their frightened faces. "We're getting her back."

* * *

**A/N: **Hi! :) I'm going putting all my fanfiction in here! And since I'm into the the Jack/Elsa (Jelsa) ship lately, HAVE SOME JELSA :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 2

Pitch felt the darkness fill up in his fingertips first, before it spread through his arms and then up his shoulders and down his torso simultaneously. The darkness, the fear, oh how he simply _savored_ the feeling of being whole once more. He felt the delicious inky blackness of fear creep under his skin, powerful and wild, simply bursting to come out. The feeling of being solid and the feeling of _belief_. He felt better than he had ever been in centuries.

Once he simply felt whole, it was time to test his powers. The power he felt inside him was not only strong, it was _raging_. It had been kept in the dark for a very long time, and in the dark, it had manifested and seeped the life of the one who had locked it up in the first place. When Pitch felt it fill him to the brim, he marvelled at its vivacity and its capabilities, repressed for so long and just eager to be used. The thought of him being able to wield this tremendous amount of energy, of him examining every crevice, every curve, of this ice-cold darkness... why, it was downright seductive.

_This was power._

He tried to conjure just a tiny slither of black sand, only to be astonished that the black sand he brought out from the palm of his hand abruptly stretched out in needles, swiftly stabbing the walls and the ceilings near the area he stood in. A maniacal laugh escaped his throat. There was not a hint of modesty at the raw power unravelling under his skin and he was more than willing to let it roam rabid. Was he not, then, a kind master?

He inspected then the black sand in the walls. It was much different from the sand he had created from the Sandman's own. This one was coarser, sharper in each singular grain. Like shards of broken glass. And it was cold. He grinned maliciously as he rolled a grain around his fingers, these diamonds in his hands.

"Who knew your little queen was such a wild card, Jack," he sneered. It was time to test out his newfound strength. Giant coils of black sand slithered around him, before exploding themselves into long thin needles, just as they did before, as they impaled everything in the main hall from where Pitch stood.

The sand did not stop there. It broadened across the floor with every step Pitch took as he strode towards the throne. In a matter of seconds, the sand had coated the whole floor and the wooden throne. Nightmares rose out of the sand on the floor, ready to obey and do his bidding. Pitch sat on the black throne now and gazed excitedly at these manifestations of his newfound power. And now to call for his little pet, who had been in the gallery since those pest-Guardians fled.

Pitch broadened his perceptions, projecting his energy around the castle grounds. He found a presence, bearing an essence of his own power melded with another kind of energy, in the portrait room. From his throne, he plucked a bit of the control he had on his Nightmares, projected it towards the portrait room, before slipping it easily into the centre of the presence in the portrait room. He felt his control bleed into the vessel, like a hand inside a glove, and smiled triumphantly to find that it was a perfect fit. It was always easy work when there was no longer a hint of heart inside a human body. Now all he had to do was sit back and watch beauty unfold before him.

The double doors of the main hall opened through a gust of strong wind. Pitch could barely contain his excited glee from his seat on the throne, as he smiled behind the clasped hands before his face. Thin icicles spread like deadly, razor-sharp flowers around the doors' ornate frame. The ice on the floor coated the black sand like glass as Arendelle's young queen walked in menacing elegance inside her throne room. There was a threatening, electrifying air around her despite her slender and petite appearance.

The ice magic that made her patterned blue dress had dissipated and had reverted back to its previous state: her coronation dress. Her hair was no longer bound to its signature braid, having fallen free from the strong winds she had created from the encounter they had with the Guardians earlier that day. Instead, it fell down to the small of her back in long waves of platinum. There was no wind now, just ice with every step she made with, Pitch noticed, her bare feet.

She was regal in all her untamed power and glory. Her face as that of a doll's; hollow, void of any emotion, with pupil-less glass eyes. A smooth, very thin layer of ice seemed to have formed around her like second skin, and when the light caught her, she gleamed like a porcelain figure. The ice was clear, not unlike glass. Upon closer inspection, Pitch noticed that the ice that coated her was _alive_; ever-changing to mould in tightly against her svelte form in whichever way she, or her dress, moved.

She stopped before the throne, a trail of smooth ice in the shape of snowflakes covering the black sand that had carpeted the floor. Delighted at all the prospects happening in that moment, and all this potential at his fingertips, the Bogeyman got up from his black throne and made his way down to her slowly, savoring this victory over her. Over that Frost-brat. Before her, he performed an elaborate bow.

"My Queen," he said, taking and kissing the top of her hand. He felt the intense cold of the ice on his palm and on his lips, before he tipped her chin up to get a better look at her face. "How about giving me an exclusive demonstration of your powers, your highness?"

Under his control, the queen gave a slight nod, turned around, walked towards the center of the hall and slammed her foot down the floor. A giant snowflake, irregular and jagged in shape, appeared and expanded. She raised her arms, her hair whipping against her face and from the expanse of the snowflake's surface, giant, serrated icicles grew rapidly, shaking the castle.

"Yes!" Pitch growled over the noise the castle made at the still-growing, lethal structures. Laughing hysterically, he invoked his own powers, fusing black sand with the queen's ice. Black needles rose from the floor to the ceilings, penetrating through the walls and roofs. Outside, the black-ice needles branched out, twisting and surrounding Arendelle's castle and bridge like a wild, thicket of thorns.

Pitch clapped his arms together in pure, unadulterated happiness and with a wave of his hands, the Nightmares galloped out the main hall in flurries of black dust and smoke to inhabit this new world of cold and dark. Once they were gone, he walked back to the queen and took her hand, a vile leer on his features.

"You have done excellently, your majesty," he said, taking her hand and leading her up to the second throne beside his. It froze immediately and icicles decorated it the moment she sat down. Feeling satisfied with everything for the first time in centuries, Pitch settled on his own throne, hands clasping once more before his face.

_Come, Jack. Come and take her back. _

Already he felt the fear of the townspeople under the chill of the weather. Already he felt the terror in their hearts as the Nightmares roamed and laid waste to Arendelle. His face contorted into one of pure ecstatic malevolence.

_I'm waiting._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 3

Everything is so–

_Cold...? I'm... I'm cold_.

An evil cackle, sharp teeth and yellow eyes.

_Traitor._

Ice. There was always ice.

The storm under her skin had gone absolutely haywire. She had never felt more powerful. She also knew she could not stop. She had always made it stop, even if it was too late sometimes. She has _never_ made it not stop.

Screaming. Was that her? Or was it Anna? Anna had been in the corridor, a good distance away from the portrait room where she was trying to regain some control over her powers. Anna had tears in her eyes and was fighting Tooth and Bunny somewhere behind the others no doubt to get to her. That's good. They'll keep Anna away from her. They'll keep her safe.

_Anna. What have I done? Will you ever forgive me?_

There was pain. There was pain everywhere and she didn't know how to make it stop. It was like someone had stuck a million searing hot needles into her veins all at the same time. Why was that?

There's no pain now. But it felt like she had lost something. And somehow, that felt much, infinitely much, worse.

_Jack was right._

Jack.

The hurt she felt in her chest was like lightning.

He was the last thing she saw before the pain intensified, before all she saw was darkness. She had heard him call her over the torture under her skin. He had heard her when she had screamed and he had tried to fight her rampant ice to get to her. He always heard her, even when nobody else could. Even if she didn't know that she needed help. Jack always just seemed to know when she needed somebody.

_Jack, if I call for you now, would you hear me?_

And then nothing else mattered anymore because suddenly a different kind of agony settled and filled every fiber of her being. She couldn't breathe and her mind was reeling and this was the kind of torture that made her want the million hot needles in her veins forever anytime, instead of this... this _hurt_.

_This is all my fault._

She's betrayed everyone she's ever loved because of her _stupid_, selfish reasons. Now everyone was going to suffer once more, and worse, to that _monster_. She brought this upon them; brought _him_ back to life because she was always, always so afraid of hurting anybody by her own hand. Of her own capabilities. And now, her nightmare's come true.

_I'm going to lose everyone. Again._

Elsa's eyes fluttered open, and silent tears rolled down, spilling onto the cool, white floor where she lay on her side.

Her home.

Her people.

Her friends.

Anna.

Jack.

_Not Jack._

_Please, not Jack._

Pain ripped violently through her and her body trembled. Wrapping her arms around herself and biting her lip to keep from screaming, she tried to hold on, so close, so close to breaking. There's nobody here to hold her now. She has to keep herself together. She has to. There might not be anybody else once everything is over. She has to.

_Not Jack._

She felt another vehement rip against her chest. And then there were no more silent tears. Shaking, she curled into herself on the floor. Unwrapping herself, her face buried into her hands, mouth open in a silent scream as sobs and weeping overtook her.

_Jack._

And Elsa broke. Finally falling into a million fragments against the white floor, a shuddering heap of dark and turquoise velvet and platinum.

_Please don't let me lose you._

* * *

"North, if I know Pitch, it's that there's always a twist to what he does, mate," Bunnymund said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll bet ye my momma's graces in heaven that there's something more to them thorns there aside from being made of ice and sand."

"Yes, Bunny!" exclaimed the enthusiastic, jolly round man on the other side of the table. "That is why, we attack ALL OUT! One big attack, in one go, yes! It is very good idea!" He had taken out his swords from his scabbard and laid them down the ice table for emphasis.

"Bunny's right, North," Jack said, leaning onto his staff. "Pitch would never do anything without something else popping out of the box."

The grey clouds outside had turned darker as dusk began to fall. The snow still has not stopped and the temperature was dropping every minute. Tooth shivered.

"And not only that, guys," she said, looking at some of the Baby Teeth with her. "My girls had been scouting and they saw Nightmares... Here and... All over here."

She pointed at different parts of the town on the map of Arendelle that Sandy made on the table; a three-dimensional, scaled-down map of Arendelle's current situation, from the thorn forest that covered the castle and the bridge, to Elsa's ice palace on the north mountains where they were currently holding their meetings. She looked gravely at all of them.

"He's gotten very strong," she said in a low voice. "This is the strongest I've ever felt him."

A hush fell over the room as they took in the gravity of the situation. The glass doors opened and Anna and Kristoff came in, followed closely by Olaf. Kristoff looked like he was armed to the teeth with all the muskets, swords and crossbows he was carrying.

"Any progress?" the princess asked, looking at the sand map on the table. Sandy shook his head and Anna sighed. "Well, the townspeople that have taken refuge here seem to be in a better mood. Although they still seem to be frightened of what's out there..." She glanced at Kristoff, who nodded.

"The good news is," Kristoff said. "I was able to bargain for us some weapons." He laid them all on the table and North began inspecting them.

"Hello, friends," said the little snowman, waddling towards the table with a sincere smile on his face. "Do we already have a plan to rescue Elsa?" He was too short for the table and had raised his head with his twig-arms. Maybe it was the gloom and the trying times they were in that made them take in every joy that pass by, even in the smallest of doses, that nobody could resist at least a snicker at the little snowman.

North, never one to dwell in the hardest of times, barked with merry laughter, hands on his belly. "Why, yes, little snowman!" He boomed out at Olaf with unshaken resolve. "We get Elsa back! Is the plan!" He took a look at Jack, who nodded.

"But Bunny is still right, North," he said. "You can definitely count on those thorns being tricky to pass. ...Which is why I need Olaf here to help pave a way for to us pass them." He smirked at the snowman, whose eyes gleamed in the excitement of being needed.

"Me?" Settling his head down, Olaf waddled hurriedly to Jack's side. "Are you sure?"

"Yeap. I'm giving you an entire army and I need you to command them," Jack knelt down at to look at Olaf in the eye, grinning. "Think you can handle it, snowman?"

Olaf puffed out his chest and gave Jack the most determined look he could muster before giving him a soldier's salute. "You can count on me, Captain! FOR QUEEN ELSA! FOR ARENDELLE!" That had made Jack laugh.

"And then what, mate," Bunny said, inspecting a crossbow and the tips of the arrows it came with. "Ok, so we infiltrate the castle, armed to the bone and we manage to somehow survive Pitch's Nightmares and then we find him and Elsa. And then what?"

Bunny looked uneasily at the others.

"Jack," North continued, the seriousness of his tone not be played with. "Everyone know, and I'm sure you know, that Pitch only got Elsa to get you."

Jack frowned and a chill dangerously settled inside the room. If North noticed it, he did not give any indication. "So you're telling me that I should just leave her there?"

"Woah, Jack! Calm yourself, mate," Bunny warned as his fur perked up at the sudden temperature drop.

"Jack, no!" Tooth said, her feathers ruffling in her uneasiness at how dangerous Jack just sounded. "We meant–"

"We meant," North continued in a booming voice that filled the room. "That you be careful, Jack." He finished gently, a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We are scared that you might give yourself to Pitch. For Elsa. And I'm sure you know, that he will not give Elsa even if you give yourself to him."

The chill in the room dissipated almost immediately. Jack felt sincerely touched, and a bit ashamed at how he reacted. "Thanks, guys," he said, smiling wanly. "Yeah, I know Pitch is only doing this to get to me, either for revenge or to force me to work with him."

He looked down at his hands and his thoughts wondered when he wouldd be able to touch Elsa again, be near her again. To hear her laugh, to train together again. To taste her again. To feel the softness of her against him again. To feel the warmth only Elsa could bring to him again. Because despite their powers and their odd body temperatures, when they're together, the imprints and the feeling she leaves on him can only be warmth. He balled his hands into fists, blue eyes forming a steely gaze at North.

World and Pitch be damned, he was not going to lose Elsa.

"I know that," he said, firm and strong. "And I'm not going to hand myself over to him. But I'm prepared to lose everything just to get Elsa ba–!"

_Jack._

Jack could feel his breath get caught in his throat and his heartbeat pull into a stop in his chest. He could feel his eyes widen and he did not dare to move for fear that he might not hear her again. Her voice was so soft, like smoke inside his head, but she's _there_. He could feel himself shaking.

"Elsa?" He breathed out.

He didn't know how he was able to hear her voice in his ears, and he could feel his powers reacting to her presence in his head as his ice prickled at his fingertips. But it didn't matter because she's alive somehow and she's trapped somewhere but she's _alive_.

His head whipped at the direction of the castle. _She's there_, he thought. _Pitch may be controlling her body, but she's there. She's trapped._

Gripping his chest tightly and going weak in the knees, he barely registered North and Kristoff trying to steady him or the shocked faces of the others in the room. His heart twisted painfully at the sorrow of her voice. She must be crying.

_Please don't let me lose you._

A powerful wave of sadness, guilt and heartache came crashing down on him with the force of a hurricane, and for a moment it seemed like he could _feel _her, as if all he had to do was reach out and wrap her in his arms. Until he felt the telltale sign of her presence going quiet.

_No_, his mind cried out back at her. _No, Elsa. NOT YET!_

"NO! Elsa, don't go!" Jack cried out.

Just as suddenly as he had heard her, her voice and her feelings vanished and he was left alone, shuddering and gasping for air. He could feel his hands trembling, feeling only air between his fingers and not her dress, her waist, her hair. Not her. Her absence had never been more painful.

"Jack! What happened?"

Breathing heavily and biting back tears, he turned back only to see everyone gathered around him, anxiously trying to help him stand or trying to see what happened. Finding his strength once more, he pulled himself up and looked at all of them, before settling his eyes on Anna, who looked close to tears.

"I heard her, Anna," He breathed out, still shaken from the experience. Anna covered her mouth with her hand and sank into Kristoff's chest, tears spilling over as Kristoff enveloped her in a hug.

Looking at everyone else, he continued, his breath steadying though his shaking hadn't. "I don't know how I was able to connect with her and I don't know if she can hear me, but I _do_ know that she's alive. She's weak and she's trapped inside her body, but she's not completely lost to us. She's there."

North slid his swords back into his scabbards, equipping himself with one musket or two before crossing his arms across his chest, a severe look on his features that made him look almost too menacing to be Santa. Bunny mirrored him in action, taking a crossbow and a quiver full of arrows, frowning. Anna, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and sniffing loudly only to reveal an angry, dangerous look, buckled a sword into her hip, while Kristoff hung two, double-sided axes behind him and Olaf standing obediently beside him, a slight frown on his features. Tooth too buckled in her double swords while Sandy disintegrated the Arendelle map, a determined look in his eye.

Jack gripped his staff tightly, his knuckles turning white. He glanced at North who gave him a smirk, despite his severe expression. "Give orders, Jack!" He roared. Jack turned to Olaf, who puffed out his chest at the attention, and said, "You ready, Olaf?" Olaf replied with a resolute nod.

Jack focused his mind at the powerful wave of emotions that bled out of Elsa and her voice. A sharp blast of biting wind shrieked inside the ice palace as a surge of renewed energy and power shot through his veins.

_I heard you, Elsa._

"We infiltrate the castle tonight."

* * *

**A/N: **By far the hardest chapter I have written. Writing snippets of the supposed "beginning" of the story while also fusing it with Elsa's feelings took a lot of hard work Haha. And writing inner turmoil/conflict/guilt/despair/etc. not to mention the metaphorical location Elsa is in phew! This chapter literally took a lot out of me HAHA! I hope I've somehow managed to communicate Elsa's feelings properly at least to all of you reading out there.

Also, I'm getting to the action-y parts soon, I PROMISE! (cos you knowww some circumstances need to be explained first before other shiz can advance and whatnot, right? right? RIGHT!)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, review or follow my stories :) Everyday I love writing Jack and Elsa more because of you lovely people out there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 4

Moonlight or starlight could not penetrate the blackness of that night and the cold was vengeful and angry, the snow in a seemingly eternal descent. The darkness that fell was the darkness of old; haunting, suffocating, aged. Wise to the tricks of man. Those who have lived through this darkness once would prefer not to have to live through it a second time, lest old horrors returned. The hush that came with the dark whispered of the sharpness in the shadows and the eerie malice in the air. Wolves and wind were quiet that night. It was as if the terror had taken tangible form and it crept about, choking life and light out of those who dared challenge it by going outside.

The townspeople that had taken refuge inside the ice castle took in the delightful glow Elsa's ice peculiarly retained. A momentary respite from the dread of the day, and, quite possibly, of the days to come. Once everyone had been taken care off in one of the many floors that made Elsa's elaborate castle, and food and extra blankets already distributed, Anna and Kristoff joined Olaf, Sven, North and the other Guardians down towards the spacious foyer. They carried weapons and lanterns to load into North's sleigh outside. Jack opened the double doors and a collective gasp was released into the air.

"It's gone completely dark," Jack said grimly, before flying out to check the skies. "Can't even see the moon and the stars." There was a silence that lasted a few seconds.

"We keep moving. Dark is nothing. We have lanterns," North said with a self-assuring gruff. "Sandy," he said to the little ball of yellow Guardian. "How about filling lanterns with yellow glowing sand? Is brighter than ordinary candle, no?" Nodding and showing a thumbs-up of sand above his head, the Sandman invoked little streams of sand and sent them, in glowing balls, inside the lanterns. Anna could feel a comforting heat radiate from the glow of her lantern.

Anna watched North lead the way outside down the icy stairs, followed by Jack, Olaf, Sandy and a hesitant Bunny, while Tooth convened and gave instructions to the Baby Teeth flying around her. The Baby Teeth squealed and squeaked in fright at the thought of going out in the dark. Even Tooth's feathers ruffled restlessly as she faced the darkness beyond the door. But she took a deep breath and Anna witnessed the fearless queen Tooth was.

"It'll be alright, girls," she soothed into the Baby Teeth, smiling gently. "Let's not disgrace the uniform. And remember to stay together, alright?" Her tone was so chipper that Anna almost did not see Tooth grip one of the sabers on her hips for reassurance and strength when they flew out.

Leaving Kristoff to prepare Sven, Anna peered outside the ice castle to the blackness beyond. Almost suddenly, like an arrow to the chest, she felt the thin spidery fingers of fright wrap around her throat and a shiver crawled torturously slow down her spine. It was a powerful darkness and holding the lantern closer to herself, she was grateful for the soothing Dreamsand in it. The only other sources of light she could see outside were from the lanterns of the Guardians, as they made their way down the ice stairs and to North's sleigh a bit further beyond. She saw Jack and Olaf head a different direction, Jack's lantern hanging by the crook of his staff. _Probably to build Olaf's army_, she thought.

Strong fingers wrapped around her own gloved hand. Smiling, she turned to look at Kristoff, who was nervously scanning the skies the way Jack did earlier. He was already armed and he too had a lantern of Dreamsand. He pulled her into him and she leaned into his chest, relishing his warmth and the comfort in his strong build.

"That is some darkness outside, huh," he said, at the top of her head. She nodded.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you?" she asked, looking up at him. He smiled softly down at her, kissing her forehead. "We both know that I'd rather have you here with the Guardians than exposed out there," he said. Anna sighed and buried her head into his chest again. "I'm just... scared," she said into his thick jacket. "The darkness is so thick that I feel like whatever goes out, won't ever come back."

She felt him tilt her head to face him, closing her eyes when he pressed his lips against hers. Once they broke the kiss, he leaned down against her forehead and warmth seeped into her heart. "C'mon, Feisty-pants. You know for yourself that I know these mountains and these woods like the back of my hand. A little darkness won't do much to me," he said in that tone that always somehow managed to give her strength. "Don't worry about me."

If he was scared, he was doing a better job of hiding it than she was. Squaring herself and biting back tears, Anna pulled him down for another kiss, lingering against his lips when they broke apart. "I won't," she said, grinning at him despite her tear-glassed eyes. They pulled each other into another fierce hug. "Stay safe," he whispered against the crook of her neck. "I'll be back by the time you reach the thorn forest." With his boyish mountain-man grin, Kristoff mounted Sven.

Anna nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her glove, before walking over to Sven. "You be safe too, Sven," she said, patting the reindeer, who replied with a slobbery lick on Anna's face. Giggling, she took out a carrot from the pouch Kristoff was carrying and offered it to Sven. Once Sven had taken a bite, she took a bite for herself before tossing the carrot to Kristoff, who finished what remained of it. Anna sighed and offered a silent prayer to the old gods to keep both Kristoff and Sven safe as she watched them gallop out into the night, leaving her once more to stare at the dark outside.

Not dwelling on worry, Anna took a deep breath. Her hand ghosted over the healing wound on her left upper arm; a reminder. She too had things she needed to do before they flew off towards the thorn forest. Anna exhaled a warm white puff, adjusting the scarf she used to keep her nose and face warm. The breastplate she wore was heavy, the sword on her hip ever more so. She almost smiled in fondness, remembering days of sparring lessons. Who knew these skills would come in handy someday. Gripping her lantern tightly and ignoring the rampant racing of her heart in her ears, she stepped into the terror.

Once she reached the snowy mountain, she stomped towards Jack's and Olaf's direction. Snow started to dust her cap and her shoulders when she reached Olaf overlooking a short ridge. "Hey-a, Anna," the snowman said, beaming up at her. She smiled through her scarf. How Olaf managed to always stay positive even in these dark times, she'll never know and she could not help but feel a spark of envy at the snowman's sunny attitude. But she hasn't lost hope yet. She would continue to stand firm. _Even through this silly darkness_, she thought, feeling slightly better. Better enough to have a small but hopeful smile grace her lips. _Thanks for reminding me to always face up, Olaf_.

"Jack's building my snowmen army and look! They almost look like Marshmallow!" Olaf said excitedly, breaking her train of thought and pointing to the clumps and flurries of snow being whirled around to form great figures. Finally paying attention to the magic happening before her eyes, Anna let out a small gasp of awe. "Amazing," she said, pulling down her scarf. "And they really do!"

She spotted Jack in the air with his arms outstretched and a look of concentration on his face. Sadness crept into Anna's heart when she immediately thought of Elsa and how Elsa would have wanted to see Jack do this. When the last snow giant of maybe an army of twenty was up and howling like the rest of them, Olaf gave a loud excited squeal and Jack swooped down beside Anna.

"Incredible, Jack!" she said, not being able to tear her eyes away from the living snow giants and a gargantuan smile on her face. "They look almost as solid as Elsa's! No offense, Jack. I mean I know you make snow figures too but they never seemed to be as firm or sturdy as Olaf or Marshmallow." She rambled, feeling excited for the first time that day, her braids bouncing up and down. "Oh my stars! Elsa would be so happy to see this! I mean, you finally did it!"

Jack chuckled and leaned on his staff, where his Dreamsand-filled lantern still hung from, and eyed his work. "None taken, Princess," the Guardian of Fun said. "You're right though. I _did_ learn this little trick from Elsa. How could I not, after seeing Olaf?" He gestured towards Olaf and Anna found the overjoyed snowman now running towards the snow giants, loudly naming them Marshmallow II, Snowball, Summer... "I mean he's not just snow manipulated into moving; he _lives_!" Jack excitedly continued, before sighing with a soft smile in his face. "Elsa's just... She's amazing."

Anna smiled brightly back at him, puffing her chest out and her hands on her hips. "Well, no duh, mister!" She said, proudly. "If she can teach me how to skate on ice, she can teach anyone anything!" Jack let out a snicker, making Anna feel a bit proud of herself for being able to help lighten up his mood. But that made what she was going to tell him all the harder. Her confident stance fell away and suddenly she was unsure of herself. Unconsciously, she fingered the wound on her arm once more. The wound that Elsa accidentally gave her just yesterday. The wound that triggered Elsa's decision to give up her powers to Pitch.

"Jack," she said quietly, the air of fun disappearing. Jack turned towards her, aware of the seriousness of her tone. She could not help but feel guilty and she was sure it was showing on her face and in the stutter on her tongue. "I... About Elsa.. I uh... I think I should have told you this a long time ago. But I didn't realize it until it was too late.."

* * *

**A/N: **My original plan for this chapter was much much longer than this, but I felt that I was rushing it if I continued with that plan. I think I'm a bit happy with my decision because I got to pay homage to the KirstAnna pairing and write a bit more on the other Guardians. Rest assured though, I'm not very happy with the way the chapter came out because I had so much trouble trying to write in Anna's perspective and establishing this new dark environment everyone was in and then there is the brother-sister interaction I wanted between Anna and Jack, top it all off with my laptop's broken screen... Y'all know how hard it is to write with only one hand cos the other has to put pressure on the laptop's screen to get it to work properly? HAHA ...I can only hope for the best.

Thanks again to those who're still reading, you've all made my Christmas a-hella worthwhile and happy! :') MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! :))


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 5

Elsa had been walking for quite some time now. She had taken to walking following the wall when she realized that walking _away_ from the wall peculiarly lead right back to it. She wasn't even sure if the same strangeness applied to walking by the wall. She walked on anyway, feeling slightly unnerved at the silence of the area and the far, far stretch of the wall. But the white wall and floor seemed to expand farther than the eye can see and distress was building up inside her. Not even a corner in sight. Heaving an exasperated sigh, Elsa rubbed her red-rimmed eyes and her burning cheeks. _I have to find a way out of here_, she thought. She sniffled slightly and glanced at the vastness surrounding her, searching for anything that could be of help to her, anything at all.

She felt an involuntary shiver sit on her shoulders before it bolted down her back to the tip of her toes. She wrapped herself in her arms and shuddered. It did not help at all that it was chilly in this strange place and that she was barefoot against the cold, polished floor. She tried not to think about how foreign it felt to actually have the cold bother her at the moment, or the helplessness she knew she had become without the familiar rush of magic in her. She sighed, her heart a millstone inside her chest. She had no-one but herself to blame.

She pressed on, a hand trailing the white wall, also polished to the point she could see her own reflection. Her ice-woven dress was gone and here she was, once more, in her coronation gown; a dress she had not seen in almost over a year. A sad half-smile pulled against her lips. The humor of her wearing the same dress both times she froze Arendelle was not lost on her.

Her hair was a mess; cascading platinum locks in long, soft waves fell to the small of her back. She wondered when the last time she wore her hair down was. Then again, she did not like it much as her hair had a tendency to stick out at odd ends, making her look quite awkward and strangely flustered. Which was why she preferred to braid it. She didn't have Anna's natural, soft, straight hair which, despite its early morning tragedies, always looked prim and neat no matter the mess Anna would get herself into. Too bad Anna stuck to also wearing her hair in braids.

The young queen frowned. She'd rather not think about Anna. That would lead to thinking about Jack and the accident that started all this and the grey man from her dreams and then getting stuck here, feeling completely, completely powerless and hollow, while everyone was possibly suffering out there... No. No more. That's enough torture and guilt-tripping, thank you kindly. Now it was time to take action. She was a queen; the reigning sovereign of Arendelle and by all the gods in the nine realms, she _will_ take responsibilities of her stupidity and her actions. No matter the consequences, she will make things right.

Her thoughts may not have settled on Anna, but they did on the grey man with the yellow eyes. The derisive, mocking laugh she heard the moment she realized he had no intentions whatsoever to seal her powers echoed once more inside her head. Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach and she felt herself stiffen at the thought that she was stupid enough, borderline and laughably _idiotic_, to believe that this... entity, conjured from her dreams, could_–would_–seal her powers. She should have known that it was too good to be true; that some shady, smooth-talking character would decidedly hand her the safety and security she had always craved from her powers on a silver platter.

But in the end, she got what she wanted, didn't she? She lost all her powers, possibly for good now. _I lost everything else too_. Her anger reverted towards herself. How could she be so foolish? _If I had only paid more attention to what Jack was saying than wallowing in my own shortcomings, then we wouldn't be in this mess_, she berated herself. Sighing, she knew once more, that the grey man was only partly to blame.

But what had exactly happened? She had been doing so well the past year. Why were her powers acting up again these last few months? Maybe her fear never actually left her. Maybe it was only her who thought that she was improving. Since when had she become so weak against her own powers? Maybe she was never that strong to begin with. Maybe if she only had accepted–_loved_–herself in the first place, the way Jack always told her she should have a long time ago, she wouldn't have been so easily swayed.

_Jack was right_, she thought. _How could I expect to care about other people when I don't even care about myself_. Guilt seeped in her, filling her to the brim before gushing out in wild torrents, overflowing. _I'm not a queen. I'm a hypocrite._

Nevertheless, looking at things objectively, she had been betrayed and used to cause others, everyone and everything she loved, pain and desolation. The grey man was clearly at fault in that sense, as far as she was concerned. "Traitor," she seethed under her breath. Her steady walk turned into an angry march with her hands fisted beside her in an uncharacteristic, unlady-like manner. Oh, she would get back at him, she would!

After an eternity of walking and her legs cramping, Elsa slowed, brows furrowing and groaning inwardly as she leaned against the wall in defeat. Nothing. Not a change in scenery at all. Fuming still and now even more frustrated than ever, she slid down towards the floor, feeling the familiar prickling of tears on her eyes and at the back of her throat. "No, no, no!" she said to herself. She quickly shook her head, hopefully shaking off the feelings of desperation and consternation as well. "There must be a way out of here," she said quietly, scanning the strange place for the hundredth, thousandth time.

But anxiety and hopelessness blossomed once more in her heart, now so much noticeably worse. A plethora of what-ifs surrounding her current predicament seared into her mind like hot poking irons. Her hands flew to her temple in a futile attempt to calm the white noise inside her head. In a flurry of panic and dread, Elsa did the only thing she knew still brought her comfort.

This was something they always did together; a breathing exercise of sorts. It was a means to calm herself, to get to know and understand her powers better and also to comfort her during trying times. They have been doing it ever since her parents died when Jack had been there as her powers spiked into dangerous, critical heights for the first time since Anna's accident. He made it a point afterwards that they practiced it daily.

They would be palm to palm, backs straight and sitting across each other. Most times, their fingers did not entwine each other; Jack reserved those for the more stressful days. Her eyes would be closed and she would focus on her breathing while Jack soothed her with his voice. Sometimes, in her calmest and most peaceful of days, he would opt for silence and she would focus on the security, and the warmth she strangely felt, of his hands and long fingers. She would focus on him just being _there_.

She did the same now, although she tried not to focus on the fact that she was doing this by herself for the first time ever. She breathed in and out, just concentrating, pretending that he was there with her. That his voice was telling her, as always, that everything was going to be alright. That he was there and he wasn't going anywhere.

Tears well up once again under her long eyelashes and her bottom lip trembled, tempting her once more to let everything go just one more time. But she clamps her eyes tighter and _forbids_ the tears to fall. No more tears.

Instead, Elsa breathed. Steady. Just steady. Inhale. Exhale. Easy does it, Elsa. Inhale. Exhale. She breathed and the storm in her mind was once more held at bay. She let herself fall into a steady staccato rhythm of comforting sighs as she willed herself and her mind to calm down, and to have hope. To always have hope.

Elsa breathed and hoped with all her being that this would be the first, and the last time, she would be doing this alone.

* * *

"Elsa's been having odd dreams ever since that time she lost control over her powers two months ago."

Jack looked at Anna incredulously. "What?" He remembered the incident fairly well; it was the first time in a long time Elsa lost grasp of her abilities. The icicles that sprung from the floor had come uncomfortably, quite lethally, close to his chest had it not been for his quick reflexes. But what did Anna mean? What was the connection of that incident to Elsa's dreams? "What do you mean 'odd'?"

His confusion magnified when Anna fidgeted uncomfortably before him. Just what did Anna know? His eyebrows fell into a slight frown when he saw her hand ghost towards her arm where Elsa's ice had accidentally struck her only the morning of the day before. Her wound must still be healing. His thoughts automatically flew to the already-healed gash on his right side, somewhere below his rib-cage. He had received the wound the exact same moment Anna received hers.

These were the wounds that started it all; the butterfly wings to this hurricane. The simple tear of flesh and the spill of a few drops of blood that lead to Elsa's absolute decision to abdicate her gifts once and for all. The wounds–the blood offering, and Elsa's own overpowering panic, that had triggered Pitch's return.

It wasn't difficult to put two and two together. But some pieces still did not fit in. The last time Jack had seen Pitch, he was no more than a _haze_ of his former self. A coughing, bitter man, lurking in the shadows and spitting nonsense about revenge. He couldn't even muster enough fear to completely materialize for long stretches of time, let alone bombard his way into his recent, sudden return.

Yes, Jack understood that Elsa's fear was great, especially after it was triggered by the accident the day before, but it still shouldn't have been enough to bring Pitch back _completely_. And yes, he knew that she had been having a hard time with her control lately but prior to that, she had been doing so incredibly well with her powers this past year. A momentary surge of panic, induced by the stress she was feeling, could not have been the sole cause of Pitch's total resurrection. Nor the intense, intense power Pitch brought along with him once he did return. So... how? And here is Anna telling him that Elsa's been having odd drea–

"Jack," Anna's voice cut through his train of thought. "I think Elsa's dreams are the reason she's been having such a hard time with her powers lately... Her fear must've come back after that incident two months ago." Before Jack could ask what she meant about Elsa's dreams being the cause of her tension these days, Anna her gaze shifted somewhere to the snowy, mountain floor and continued, her voice only a little more above a whisper. "I... found her awake in the middle of the night two weeks ago. When I asked her what she was doing up, she said... that she had been having dreams about a grey man with yellow eyes."

Jack could feel his body go numb while his mind reeled with warning signals and earsplitting alarms at every word, every piece of information Anna was currently keen on sharing. _How? There's never been any black sand_, his frantic thoughts bellowed at him. All he ever saw was Sandy's gold sand, dancing atop her head, or nothing at all. "But… H-how? That can't be…"

"She said that he told her that he could seal her powers forever. She also said that after the grey man's visits, her dreams would turn... disturbing," Anna explained on, tears springing into her eyes. Jack was still too stunned to move. This has been going on for two months? His heart felt like it was just sliced through. Why didn't she ever say anything?

No, why didn't _he_ notice? He… He had let this go on for two months. There was a frozen silence inside his head. In his ignorance, he had left her to suffer for two months. How did he manage to screw up so royally? His thoughts flew back to the sound of her voice in his head and the extreme grief that roiled with it. _Oh gods, Elsa_. There was a peculiar, chaotic prickling in his palms and fingertips. _Elsa... I should have known. I'm... I'm sorry._

The pain must've registered on his face because Anna spoke up again. "Jack?" His attention turned towards her.

"I... I should have noticed...," he said softly, gripping his staff tightly. He turned away from her questioning gaze, his head hanging low. "I shouldn't have been so ignorant. I should have known that she was tired. I should have known that she had been suffering for two months. Of course her powers were acting up!"

Angry at himself, he picked up his staff and walked off, putting a bit of a distance between the two of them and kicking snow in the process. He knew he was being childish, but he needed to vent and if a tantrum can help, then a tantrum he shall have. He stopped on the edge of the ridge, teetering on it with his toes and the balls of his feet and powerfully rammed his staff onto the ground. The impact sent a blast of electric blue that zipped through the mountain floor some distance away, cracking the ground. Ice then burst out of the snow-covered soil like an explosion, tall and edges jagged, stretching out like claws.

Eventually his tense shoulders slumped. His anger died down, only to be replaced with extreme longing and loneliness. The ice in his fingertips and palms still crackled. The plea she made when he heard her ghosted into his heart and he sighed, long and sad. An icy gust of wind blew their way, and Jack's lantern dangled on the crook of his staff. Shadows danced under the swaying light and the gale howled as it passed over the ridge they stood on.

"Elsa." He released her name into the air, his own desperate plea for her. _Please, please be alright. __We're coming, Elsa._

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath and the wind died down into a low, smoky whistle. He still did not want to face the princess. He felt too guilty.

"It's not your fault, Jack," Anna said quietly, peering at him and forcing him to look back at her. "Elsa dismissed them as silly dreams herself. I don't think she would have told anybody else if I didn't pester her that night." The princess gave him a small smile that said _You know how Elsa can be_. Understanding her expression, Jack could not help but chuckle weakly. Anna was right though. He _did_ know how Elsa can be. That worry-wart queen of an idiot. _Gods_, he missed her.

"But…," Anna's smile diminished and her gloved hand placed itself on her heart. "But I think that even though she only thought of them as dreams, she must have believed in that man somehow." Now that Anna had momentarily brought him out of his remorse, the wheels in Jack's head started to ignite once more.

Pitch. Pitch had been showing himself to Elsa through her dreams. Jack could literally hear things clicking into place somewhere at the back of his mind. Anna was not done and she was going to say the words Jack knew she would say.

"She must have thought of the grey man yesterday… after… after she hurt us…" _Bingo._ "Knowing Elsa, she must have thought that the world would be better off and safer without her powers," Anna scoffed, a sad smile on her face. It was a short-lived smile. Her gaze at him turned anxious. "That grey man with the yellow eyes… That was Pitch Black, wasn't it?"

Jack could hear the choke in her question. He nodded and she promptly looked like she was about to burst into tears. He watched her run a furious glove over one that managed to escape, before she took a deep breath. Her brows angled down and she looked livid, at herself or Pitch, Jack did not know exactly. "When I get to the castle, I am going to give him a piece of my mind!" She promised through gritted teeth, cheeks red and fuming. "I'm sorry, Jack," she said to him then. "If I told you this sooner… We could have stopped him. Elsa wouldn't have to…" It was Jack's turn to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey now," he said, patting her back and giving her time to calm down. "No one's blaming anybody here. If anybody's to blame, it's Pitch." She seemed to calm down some, taking deep breaths. The grim expression returned to his face.

"But it still doesn't make any sense," he said, catching her attention. "Pitch needs black sand to make nightmares. All the sand I see when Elsa dreams is Sandy's golden sand or no sand at all. And I _know_ Nightmare sand." She waited for him to continue as he stalked off, looking thoughtful.

"And Pitch was weak, before all this," He said, pacing as he thought. "Elsa has always been powerful, we know that. And I think that the power she gives her magic is the same way for her fears. But this is Pitch we're talking about. He _is_ fear incarnate! He's almost something like a god. A very, very old god. He would need so much more power than Elsa's fear alone to bring him back completely. And yet… Not only did Elsa's fear bring him back instantly, but this is the most powerful I've ever seen him."

He looked at Anna warily, questions still pulsing in his mind. "What else had he done to Elsa that we don't know about?"

All contemplation ceased abruptly between them when the air went still and Anna focused on something behind him, before gasping, eyes wide in fright. Jack caught the quietness of the air and a striking coldness dropped in his stomach. He turned, his staff already raised before him defensively. Anna was still frozen on her spot, rigid and staring at the darkness before them.

Jack's eyes darted into the darkness, not really catching anything. Until he saw the tell-tale yellow of eyes and a blackness that shifted, whichever way it moved. It huffed as it drew near them, the golden light of the Dreamsand in their lanterns proving futile against its black sand. A Nightmare. And it towered over them.

Alarms in Jack's head went off like dynamite. Sensing the intensity of its powers, he turned to Anna quickly. It was not the smartest of moves, for at his sudden movement, the Nightmare brayed shrilly before charging at them. Tendrils of black sand and smoke wisped at its every movement. And it was fast. Very fast.

But Jack was faster. When he had turned, he had grabbed Anna by the waist, before shooting them up into the air, the winds aiding him. He took a quick glance at the geography below and zinged towards the direction of North's sleigh and the ice castle at lightning speed. Anna was shuddering on his shoulder before she shouted over the winds. "Jack!"

He craned his neck to look behind them before cursing. The Nightmare had launched itself into the air. And with two more. _Shit shit shit shit!_ He made a flip in the air, Anna choking on gasps. He gave his staff a powerful swing, a shock of blue blasting towards the Nightmares. It was satisfying to hear the crackles and reverberating pops that followed afterwards. He smirked when the two smaller Nightmares dissipated into nothing, before diving through the air once more. The big one was unaffected and Jack needed some distance between them. He may not even be able to hold up against it himself.

Glad that the sleigh and the others were finally in sight, he sped up, before dropping Anna unceremoniously into the sleigh, a loud "OOMPH-!" emitting from her mouth. Tooth squealed in surprise before flitting towards the princess, asking if she was okay. He turned to North and Sandy before they could say anything, his features urgent and alarmed.

"We have to go now!"

North was about to retort at his impatience when once again, Jack sensed the air become still. North must have caught it too because his attention was immediately directed towards something in the distance. His large arms flew to his belly.

"Something is here."

Each Guardian immediately faced a different direction around the sleigh, weapons drawn out, on the ready. Waiting. Anticipating. Anna herself inside the sleigh was holding onto the sword on her hip, watching the skies. The silence was aggravating and heavy.

There was a moment when, despite the quietness, Jack could sense the rumbling of a thousand hooves and the dispersion of black sand around them. And from the expression North had on his face, Jack could tell he had caught on. The crushing cloud of black sand was drawing nearer; the tension was in the air. North turned to ask him what had happened when Bunny cut in with his own panic-stricken yelling, pointing towards the horizon where a horde of billowing sand and thundering hooves was imminently closing in on them.

"NIGHTMARES!"

* * *

Her breath hitched inside her lungs. Elsa sat there, wide-eyed, palms still held up against the air. What… What was that?

She had just been continuing her breathing when she heard… _felt_ her name in the smallest of flutters.

_Elsa._

It was breathed into her right ear, like a fleeting whisper. She could swear she felt the air in her name being blown inside her, a tiny wisp that sank into her chest before she felt it pulse through her nerves at an electrocuting pace. It was almost like a passing thing, because it was gone so quickly. She was not even sure she caught it or if this was her mind playing tricks on her.

Her eyes had shot open and the hairs of her neck stood, feeling warmth pool in her stomach the way it always did when Jack breathed into her ear that way. It must have been him. It _couldn't_ have been anybody else; the way her name rolled off his tongue and the airy lowness of his voice, mixed with the slight mischief and the invigoration of youthful energy that's always been him.

Her mind felt like it was going to burst and the thunderous thudding in her chest won't recede as she tried to fathom everything that's happening that moment. Her hands had left their positions in the air, curling towards her chest as tears stung her eyes. A sob threatened to escape, but her shock kept it at bay as numbing clarity took over her.

She knew where she had to go.

Her head whipped to the right, where the whisper came from. The path was still the same; the white polished floor and the wall that met it. But she knew now. A determined look eased into her features, despite the glassiness still in her eyes. Hope once again beating inside her chest and the warmth in her stomach infusing into her skin, Elsa got up.

And she started walking once more.

* * *

**A/N: **So my laptop's screen is finally kaput. Which is why this took FORmotherfrickinEVER. I typed most of this on my _cellphone_al;kjshjkdfhgkdgkdfgi'msososorrythistookforever.

Anyway, anyway. SO MANY FEELS TO WRITE! And mini-action sequence (whichIhopecameoutokayomgomgomg)! So many things to set up in this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait for you readers T_T

**Dona:** Hi! :) Thanks so much for the review! Unfortunately, I can't speak/write in Spanish :'( And since you're a guest, I can't reply to you privately... sooo I'll just leave my reply here. I'm very grateful that you've been reading the story (and in English omgggg T_T please bear with me) but I'm very very sorry that I can't translate it into Spanish :'(

Thanks again so, so, infinitely so much for the reviews and the comments! :')


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places of both Frozen and Rise of the Guardians belong to their respective owners.

**Beyond the Freezing Point**

Chapter 6

Sand exploded in black fragments under the light of the Dreamsand as North sank sword upon sword into the Nightmares. He stood at the outermost panel of the Sleigh, right in front of the controllers. His stance was alert and there was a twinkle in his eye. The Sleigh cut through the black sky with a speed that contradicted its bulky and heavy build and the gigantic wave of Nightmares was gaining on them. It was difficult to steer through the black clouds and the falling snow around them. It was even more difficult to race away from the cloud of Nightmares after them in this darkness. But North's reindeer did not disappoint.

"HAH!" He bellowed with an ear-to-ear grin, slicing a Nightmare that had managed to get too close to the Sleigh. Just like his infamous vehicle, North moved with an agility not befitting a man his age. "Nightmares not allowed in Sleigh!"

Despite his jolly hurrahs and victorious exclamations from slashing Nightmares, there was severity in the situation that North could feel in his belly. The Nightmares were harder to defeat this time; they were more aggressive than North has ever seen them. He wiped up a bit of residual sand from his red coat, only to feel a sharp, biting pain on his fingertips. He drew his hand from the sand on his coat quickly and a frown swept over his face. The sand was coated in–

"Ice?" It could not be mistaken for anything else; the sand was dangerously cold and from what little he felt on his fingers, it seemed to be more durable and resilient than anything Pitch has created in the past. A hacking noise behind him, followed by the tell-tale sound of rupturing sand, took his attention away from the black sand and a mirthful smirk replaced his gruff expression when he turned.

Three Nightmares had brayed shrilly, coming at them from above. The Baby Teeth had squealed, retreating to Anna's form. Anna shook and the sword in her hand was heavy, but keeping fierceness in her heart, she stood her ground, ready to strike. When two of the Nightmares had split to charge from both her left and her right, she was ready for the one in the center. Barely a foot away from her, she attacked, sinking her sword into it with the strength of the pent-up frustration inside her. The moment it collided with the Nightmare, she swung her sword again to slice the one coming at her right. Another swing, a quick twirl of her feet, and a rare prevalence of grace, Anna had caught the third Nightmare on its neck. "Wow, that felt good!" She proclaimed excitedly, slightly panting as the Baby Teeth chirped in admiration.

"Arendelle train Princesses well!" North boomed. "I make very good decision letting you take care of back!" Her thick coat and braids billowed under the cold rush of the wind and Anna grinned back at him victoriously, much like a child getting praise and approval from her father. "Just doing what needs to be do– WOAH!" Anna balanced on the Sleigh's flooring, holding on to the wood as the reindeer took a sharp turn down, before making another sudden curve up.

"CRIKEY!" Bunny shrieked, desperately grasping at wood and railings at the far end of the Sleigh. As the Sleigh's flight steadied, Bunny peered at the direction of Anna and North, searching the skies. "Oy! Duck!" he yelled, when he found what he was looking for. North and Anna complied, hearing another round of combusting Nightmares a distance behind them and seeing something fly by over their heads. "Heh," Bunny huffed, hopping to catch the boomerang. His fur ruffled and he shook himself off the nauseating, undulating movements of the Sleigh. "I still think me tunnels will get us there faster, mate!" He scowled. "And why does it have to be so bloody cold?"

"Oh, Bunny," North replied, laughingly. "Sleigh is more fun than hole in ground!" Bunny hopped on one of the Sleigh's wings, spotting a neighing Nightmare winding too close. "Ey! I don't insult what's yours!" Bunny yelled back, swiftly throwing both boomerangs at the cloud of Nightmares behind them before skillfully wielding the crossbow at a Nightmare heading towards them. North too jumped on the other wing, Anna squealing at the jolt North's jump had made. Brandishing his two sabers, North expertly took out another two Nightmares on his side.

Bunny turned to North, his boomerangs returning, now that they were momentarily cleared. "What's the clown's plan when we get to that thorny bridge anyway?" He seemed skeptical, to which North merely shrugged. "Maybe he will use snowman!" North said. Bunny looked unconvinced. "Where is the clown anyway?" Before North could answer, successive explosions of Nightmare sand caught their attention somewhere by the black cloud. There was a colorful blur that whizzed from braying Nightmare to braying Nightmare, leaving a trail of black dust in the wake of her razor-sharp wings. She worked quickly and quietly, diving in and out of the horde of Nightmares and taking down everyone of them in her way. Bunny couldn't help but smirk as the multi-colored blur made a direct sweep from the black cloud towards them. The Baby Teeth crowded towards their queen, squeaking, chirping and ready for orders.

"Anna!" Tooth flew to the princess's side, eyes wide and looking quite panicked. "We forgot Kristoff!" The Sleigh gave another sudden lurch before Anna could answer, Bunny crying out once more as he fought to stay on. "I'm sure he'll catch up!" Anna replied once she had gotten her balance back. "Tooth!" North cried out. "The black sand! It is dangerous!" Tooth nodded, looking slightly grim. "Yeah! I figured, North." Bunny gave an exasperated sigh. "What? Now you guys tell me?"

Anna gasped, the hitch on her breath a screeching alarm over the Guardians' ears. A shadow fell over the light from the Dreamsand and the Guardians turned. The first wave. All deafening hooves and shrill, clamoring neighs; a swarm coming straight at them. The Guardians gathered close to the princess, weapons and positions at the ready.

The wind gave a particularly high-pitched wail towards the wave and thunder rumbled amongst the clouds in the sky. A bolt of electric blue, almost white, crackled into the direction of the wave. From another angle, strips of gold spikes zipped towards the same wave. An ear-splitting snap followed as the bolt collided with the wave, and the gold spikes dispersed into smaller, longer barbs, impaling it the same exact moment it was being blasted to bits. Nightmares combusted into consecutive pops and shattered sand. Bunny pulled Tooth down towards Anna and the Baby Teeth before North huddled over them, keeping his head down as the wave dissipated into dusty smoke and black ice-sand showered on them.

"Bloody took yeh long enough, you show pony!" Bunny yelled as he stood from under North's huddle, shaken, if not even a little relieved. Jack snickered, landing on the Sleigh, Sandy following close behind on his own little cloud of golden sand. "Oh, relax, Bunny-rabbit," Jack drawled, smirking at Sandy, who had a toothy grin of his own. "We got you guys covered."

Not allowing time for rest, the Nightmare cloud extended its second, much bigger, wave. Jack, Tooth and Sandy propelled back into the air, taking it on from three different angles. Tooth had taken her double swords out of their scabbards and was fiercely, almost elegantly, slicing through the throng of Nightmares at the center of the wave.

Jack rode his crook with the winds to get a fair leverage above the wave, some of the Nightmares following him. Once he was high enough, he pulled over to a sudden stop and jumped to evade an incoming Nightmare. In that same moment, he took back his staff and twisted around with a powerful swing of the crook. Icicles formed in thin air and sank themselves into the Nightmares. Another wave of his crook and cold electric bolts of ice sparked in the sky, striking ruthlessly at black sand.

Sandy had equipped himself with an arsenal of sand-made spears. They gleamed gold against the black clouds, and their tips were razor as they pierced Nightmare after Nightmare. Whips in Sandy's hands clashed against the Nightmares that have managed to escape the spears, ensuring the safety of the inhabitants on the Sleigh.

On the Sleigh, North and Anna were back to back, dancing a duet of swords and sabers. Their rhythm was punctuated by Nightmares collapsing into black powder and their excited exclamations. Whatever clumsy blunder Anna had made was conveniently perfect for North's own attacks, oddly making them quite the indestructible pair.

Bunny, in turn, supported Tooth, throwing his multiple boomerangs and shooting arrows at any Nightmare she had missed. "Tooth!" He yelled over the various blasts, explosions and shrill neighing happening around them. Tooth appeared out of the wave and zipped towards him, grabbing his extended arms. "Hold on!" She cried enthusiastically as she flew them back towards the wave. At the height of the wave, she dropped him and with a smirk, Bunny jumped from Nightmare to Nightmare, swiftly ingraining explosive eggs inside them. "Take that, yeh shitheads!" Bunny yelled as he jumped off his last Nightmare. Tooth was waiting for him when he was done and with a triumphant smile, caught his hands again and flew them back to the Sleigh.

The second wave diminished, and the black cloud behind them looked noticeably smaller, to the triumph of the Guardians. Jack and Sandy joined the regroup on the Sleigh, as cheers and compliments were being passed around. Baby Tooth flitted out of Jack's pocket, chirping a report as she flew to Tooth.

Bunny turned to Jack. "What's the plan now, mate?" Instead of answering him, Jack leaned out the Sleigh and took a look at the ground below them, searching. The mountain and the forest beneath them were coated in an endless blanket of white. Jack could only imagine just how deep the snow was by now. His eyes darted towards a dull thudding somewhere in the deeper, much darker part of the forest.

Baby Tooth, having finished her report to Tooth, flew beside him, and her eyes fixed to where Jack's gaze was. The trees where the dull thudding was coming from, seemed to be falling and muffled brays could be heard in the same direction. She looked at Jack, awaiting orders. Jack gave her a brief nod and turned back to Bunny and the others. "Baby Tooth and I are going to find Olaf and the Snowmen."

Tooth and Anna exchanged worried looks. Bunny had opened his mouth to argue, when North silenced him with a hand on his shoulder. "They don't know where they're going," Jack continued, hoping North would understand. North smiled encouragingly at the Winter spirit. "Go," he said, handing Jack a lantern filled with Dreamsand. "We take care of rest of Nightmares." Jack nodded, grinning back.

"Be careful," North warned, sounding grave. "Forest is very dark. Might be many Nightmares down there and you are alone." Jack nodded just as seriously. "I will," he said, before a smirk broke out from his lips.

He looked at Baby Tooth, who nodded at him, before turning his attention back to the others. "We'll meet you guys at the bridge to the castle with Olaf and the others," he said, climbing onto the edge of the Sleigh. The snow seemed to be falling heavier the closer they got to Arendelle. "C'mon, Baby Tooth." Baby Tooth made a leeway for Jack's pocket once more, chirping her goodbye to the others. Jack gave them a wave before diving into the air towards the forest.

The winds carried Jack on with full force towards the commotion happening in the middle of the forest. As he got closer, he could hear the roaring of the Snowmen giants he built accompanied by the familiar shrill neighing of Nightmares. That would explain the trail of fallen trees he saw as he got even closer. Baby Tooth gave a sudden high-pitched squeak, jolting Jack from his thoughts. He tsk-ed irritatedly when he found he was between two Nightmares.

Thinking fast, Jack took a sudden plunge towards the forest. "Woah! Ow!" He groaned, brushing off snow from where he ran through a branch. "Branches." Craning his neck, he spotted one of the Nightmares and sent icicles its way. Without waiting to see its fate, Jack sped up, evading trees and searching for the second one.

_This is getting tiring_, Jack thought, starting to feel the weight of the day's events on his body. His limbs were beginning to ache and his breath started to shallow. The Nightmares were truly merciless the way they had come at him and the Guardians without even a hint of respite. He wondered if he still had enough strength to fight the second Nightmare. Or even get away from it. He shook off the thought and focused on his mission. Hopefully he'd get to Olaf and the Snowmen before he could face it.

He squinted in the darkness. North was right. What with the canopy the trees made, it was near-impossible to see anything even under Dreamsand light. He lunged back towards the sky, more careful now of branches. He took a quick glance around him and– There! A tree was being uprooted west of where he was. Without a second thought, he dashed on towards that direction. He did not need to look back when he heard a gruff snorting and galloping hooves behind him.

The Snowmen moved quickly, to Jack's relief. And they seemed to know what they were doing. They thumped the Nightmares with either the trees they uprooted or their bare hands. Olaf was on the shoulder of the bulkiest, meanest looking Snowman, calling out orders as the Snowmen took down their own personal legion of Nightmares. "Alright, Dandelion, you got 'em! Ok, men, hold the line! Snowball! Support Honeybee! A little rank-and-file, people!" Olaf seemed to have a natural talent for initiative and improvisation, it seemed. Jack was glad that he was able to rely on the little snowman. The Snowmen followed Olaf's instructions to the dot. Soon rocks, boulders, trees, branches, anything the Snowmen could get their large hands on, showered at the Nightmares.

"Olaf!" Jack called out from the air, sighing a grin. The little snowman's head made a 360-degree turn, grinning at him. "Jack!" Noticing the Nightmare behind Jack, the little snowman's grin immediately disappeared. "Uh-oh!" Frowning, Olaf turned his head towards the Snowman and gave out orders in his most authoritative voice. "Marshmallow II! Take out that one behind Jack!"

Marshmallow II turned and roared, throwing a boulder at the Nightmare. Once Jack heard the hollow sound of dust popping, he released a deep breath and almost crash-landed onto the snowy flooring if Marshmallow II had not caught him. Baby Tooth flew out, chirping at Jack's ear. "Jack!" Olaf's voice was panicked and… a bit blurry. Jack panted, staying still as Marshmallow II carried him, and waved tiredly at Olaf. "S'okay, Olaf," he mumbled. "Just a bit tired." Olaf smiled down at him and patted on the snow on Marshmallow II's shoulder. "Come sit by me, Jack," he said. "You can rest while we finish things up in here."

Seeming to understand Olaf even without having to hear the order, Marshmallow II carefully settled Jack between Olaf and his giant head. Jack leaned on Marshmallow II's snowy head, thankful for the break and watched the other Snowmen finish off the last of the Nightmares. "Thanks, Olaf," Jack said, grinning at the snowman.

"No problem, Jack. It's the least I could do for letting me help you guys get Elsa back," Olaf said, smiling back at him. "I lost the Sleigh when those black horses started attacking. It's also very dark here. I don't think we knew what we were actually fighting until you came with that lantern of yours, Jack." The snowman gave a dopey laugh, poking a bit of fun at himself.

He then turned once more at Jack and leaned towards him, whispering, "I don't know if you guys know this, Jack. But those horses are _bad news_." Jack chuckled, amused at Olaf. "Yeah. They're called Nightmares, Olaf," Jack explained. "You and the Snowmen did an awesome job taking care of them." Jack grinned when Olaf's face lit up in a sincere, grateful expression at the compliment.

Baby Tooth flitted towards Jack, twittering worriedly to see if he was alright. Jack gave her a wan smile, looking a bit sleepy. "I'm fine, Baby Tooth," he said, holding his hand up for her to land on. "Just need to rest for a bit." She squeaked a question only Jack could understand. Jack smiled. "Thanks, Baby Tooth. You know the way right?"

Baby Tooth gave a gleeful nod and turned to Olaf, sounding professional when she started relaying the instructions. Olaf listened carefully, focusing at everything Baby Tooth was telling him. "Oh! Alright! Lead on then, little Fairy! I'll take care of the Snowmen!" He sounded extremely excited at the strategy Baby Tooth just presented to him. Baby Tooth gave Jack a thumbs-up, smiling, before flying off ahead to get their bearings.

"Alrighty, Snowmen!" Olaf called out, getting the attention of the Snowmen. "We're going to follow that little fairy, ok?" Jack watched Olaf motion towards a Snowman that had icicles running all over its body. "Daisy, I need you to take care of the little fairy. Is that ok with you?" The Snowman roared and nodded. "Thank you, Daisy!" Olaf said, cheerfully waving at the Snowman, who stomped to get closer to Baby Tooth.

Jack felt himself starting to doze off. He made a mental note to sincerely thank Marshmallow II later for the ride and for the comforting cold that was helping Jack recuperate. He buried his staff slightly into the shoulder of the Snowman, so that the lantern hanging from it could help light up their journey. He made another mental note to later apologize for stabbing the Snowman. The feel of the wood of his staff under his fingers, the resounding footsteps of the Snowmen army heading into the direction Baby Tooth pointed and Olaf's final instructions filled his head before his eyelids finally drooped.

"Ok, everybody! Let's get moving! Let's get to Arendelle!"

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**A/N:** I had such FUNNNN writing the action-y parts! :D But also such a hard time cos i didn't think i could shift POVs so that I can maximize the action scenes... until I did hahahaha. BUT OMG SUCH FUN! (Also ANNA AND NORTH WOULD BE SUCH A BADASS FIGHTING COMBO GYAAAAAAAAA!) This is the most action I've written in... ever and even though I had such fun writing it, I hope I didn't disappoint! Anyway, sorry this took so long :(

Thanks again to everyone's who's been reading and reviewing/fave-ing/following! 3 :') You guys keep me going!


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